· Outdoor Recreation
Chasing fall color by elevation, from high ridges to valley floors
Fall color starts on high ridges and works downhill for weeks. Here is why, what turns at each elevation, and how to plan a color chase on short autumn days.
The Journal – page 2
Every piece we have published, newest first: field notes, explainers and practical guides on water, air, wildlife and life outdoors. 17 pieces so far.
· Water & Rivers
Volunteer stream monitoring: a beginner's guide to your first season
How volunteer stream monitoring works, how to find a group, and a first sampling day step by step: chemistry, kick nets, bug sorting, safety and clean gear.
· Air & Climate
What the Air Quality Index actually means on a smoky day
What the Air Quality Index's six colors mean, why smoke drives the number, why two apps disagree, and how to keep indoor air clean when wildfire haze arrives.
· Water & Rivers
Acid mine drainage, and why some mountain creeks run orange
Why creeks below old coal and metal mines run orange, how pyrite turns water acidic, what that does to stream life, and how treatment brings creeks back.
· Water & Rivers
How to read a water quality report for the stream down the road
A freshwater ecologist walks through a stream water quality report line by line: units, qualifiers, standards, and what each number can and can't tell you.